Ropar | Updated: July 3, 2026
Former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Friday put up a major show of strength as several Congress leaders gathered at his residence in Morinda amid growing resentment over the party’s recent organizational reshuffle in Punjab.
Nearly two dozen former and sitting Congress MLAs, several former ministers, and hundreds of party workers attended the meeting at Channi’s residence in the Chamkaur Sahib Assembly constituency.
The meeting is being seen as the first organized display of dissatisfaction against the Congress high command’s decisions ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.
The resentment comes after the party retained Amarinder Singh Raja Warring as president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee. A section of Congress workers and leaders had expected Channi to be given charge of the state unit.
After the meeting, leaders from the Channi camp gave the party high command one week to address their concerns.
Around 23 former and sitting MLAs, four former ministers, and several senior district-level leaders attended the meeting. Those present included Tripat Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Rana Gurjeet Singh, Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria, Bharat Bhushan Ashu, and OP Soni.
Former legislators Mohammad Sadique, Gurpreet Singh Kangar, Gurkirat Singh Kotli, Tarsem Singh Attari, and Harminder Singh Gill were also present. Balkaur Singh, father of slain singer Sidhu Moosewala, also attended the meeting.
However, senior Congress leaders Pargat Singh, Sukhpal Singh Khaira, and former Speaker KP Rana did not attend the gathering.
After several hours of discussion, the leaders decided to form a committee to raise the concerns of Punjab Congress workers before the party high command. They also authorized Channi to decide the future course of action on behalf of the group.
Former Punjab Youth Congress president Barinder Singh Dhillon said the committee would take up unresolved organizational issues with the central leadership. He said the feelings of party workers had not been reflected in the recent decisions.
Tripat Rajinder Singh Bajwa said the leaders had no fight with the Congress high command but wanted the leadership to understand the ground situation in Punjab.
He said many Congress leaders in Punjab were unhappy, and the group would seek time from the high command to present the actual situation in the state.
Former MLA Harminder Singh Gill said the Congress leadership should have respected the sentiments of Punjab leaders before finalizing key organizational appointments.
Channi did not make any public statement on the issue during the day. However, his silence has led to speculation about his future political strategy.
Several leaders at the meeting argued that Channi remains one of the Congress party’s strongest mass leaders in Punjab. They said appointing him as PPCC president would have energized the party cadre ahead of the Assembly elections.
The development has exposed internal differences within the Punjab Congress at a time when the party is trying to project unity and strengthen its organization before the 2027 polls.
For now, the dissenting leaders appear to be seeking dialogue with the high command instead of open confrontation. However, the show of strength at Channi’s residence has made it clear that a significant section of the party is unhappy with the recent appointments and wants the leadership to reconsider its decisions.
